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Vraa84 19th February 2006 16:15

Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Hi all

Read in a book that the mosquito was harder to detect on radar because it was made of wood. Can anyone confirm if this is correct.

And in the same book it says that the German radar controlled light flak was able to shot at a specific part of a low flying plane, ex the engines. Need a confimation on this too.

Cheers
Nick

shooshoobaby 19th February 2006 21:50

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Wooden planes and ships much harder to detect. Wood absorbs and does not reflect like metal.
Cheers

SES 20th February 2006 10:21

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Vraa84
Hi all

Read in a book that the mosquito was harder to detect on radar because it was made of wood. Can anyone confirm if this is correct.

And in the same book it says that the German radar controlled light flak was able to shot at a specific part of a low flying plane, ex the engines. Need a confimation on this too.

Cheers
Nick

Hi Nick,
There was a long discussion on another forum on this subject. Please see:
http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...showtopic=1318

To your second question. No no Flak gun can be made to aim at and hit a specific part of an aircraft, and BTW German light Flak was only radar equipped on an experiental basis, I'm not sure if any of these systems were ever fielded operationally.
bregds
SES
www.gyges.dk

Vraa84 20th February 2006 12:47

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Hi

Thanks for the answers. The insedent in question is the shellhause raid 21 march 45, one source said that a german ship in the harbour was shooting radar aimed light flak.

Cheers
Nick

SES 20th February 2006 13:08

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Hi,
I was answering from memory, but now I have done a little homework. The Kriegsmarine was in the process of developing 5 systems for radar control of Flak. The EISVOGEL, the FuMO 231 EUKLID, the FuMO 232 KASSEL and the FuMO 231 EUKLID Z (all for medium Flak). For light Flak the RETTIN was under development. At the end of the war one EUKLID was mounted in a Destroyer. IAW the published sources 20 more sets were under delivery at the end of the war. So bottom line at this point is that there was no radar-controlled light Flak, but I am happy to learn otherwise. Could you please elaborate on your source?
bregds
SES

Vraa84 20th February 2006 14:05

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Hi ses

Thanks for your answer. The source is Operation Carthage bu Kjeld Mahler sasbye. page 293.
I looked it up again, and it was medium flak (40mm) from the cruiser Nürnberg, my mistake.

Cheers Nick

Boomerang 23rd February 2006 13:00

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
This takes me back to my days doing college physics, many more years ago than I care to remember!

The physical principles are quite clear - the electromagnetic waves of a radar beam are reflected by electrical conductors, such as metals, which thus give a good radar signature. Electrical insulating materials, such as wood are transparent to the electromagnetic waves, which pass through them with very little reflection or absorption. Net result = wood is transparent to a radar beam.

Above was established by Hertz in his original study of electromagnetic waves.

Cheers

Vraa84 23rd February 2006 13:09

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Hi bommerang.

Perfect. thank you.

Cheers
Nick

Graham Boak 23rd February 2006 15:31

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
But propellors make very good radar reflectors.

Andy Fletcher 23rd February 2006 17:06

Re: Mosquito and radar help needed
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Boomerang
This takes me back to my days doing college physics, many more years ago than I care to remember!

The physical principles are quite clear - the electromagnetic waves of a radar beam are reflected by electrical conductors, such as metals, which thus give a good radar signature. Electrical insulating materials, such as wood are transparent to the electromagnetic waves, which pass through them with very little reflection or absorption. Net result = wood is transparent to a radar beam.

Above was established by Hertz in his original study of electromagnetic waves.

Cheers

Whilst metal is a much more efficient reflector of radio frequency (rf) energy than wood what is as important are the dimensions of the reflector. The most efficient size for a reflector is half a wavelength of the frequency of the emitter.

Wavelength (λ) = Velocity of light (v)/Frequency (f)

as the velocity of light is constant (3x10^8 m/s) if you know the frequency of operation you can calculate the wavelength.

That is why the length of the aluminum strips in window (modern day chaff) is so important when jamming enemy radars and as Graham says why metal propellors of a certain size make such good reflectors.

Regards

Andy Fletcher


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